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Electric bicycles bans spark national controversy
Source: Xinhua |
June 29, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ELECTRIC bicycles, or battery-driven bikes, are popular in China because of their low gas emissions, low price, and ability to zigzag through traffic jams.
However, electric bikes are banned in some Chinese cities because they are believed to contribute - proportionally more than other vehicles - to a rising number of road accidents.
And these bans continue to spark controversy among the public, with about 120 million electric bikes already in use throughout the country.
The southern city of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, is one of the cities to have banned e-bikes in main downtown areas. The ban, which has been in force since June 6, is aimed at reducing traffic accidents.
Riders of e-bikes in the banned areas will face fines of 200 yuan (US$31) starting next month.
Statistics from local police show electric-powered bicycles caused 268 accidents resulting in 64 deaths last year in Shenzhen, which has more than 500,000 e-bikes. The ban is expected to greatly increase the operational costs of express delivery companies.
Du Sheng, a courier of Shenzhen Yuantong Express Co, said many customers have complained about late delivery since he switched to riding a regular bicycle.
And due to couriers struggling to deliver goods on time, the express company Du works for has had to employ more couriers. "My income has also been reduced," Du said, saying he now wants to quit his job.
Xie Yimin, head of the Shenzhen Yuantong Express Co, said the company will have to pass on the increased human resources costs to its consumers. Not only delivery companies, but also many other low-income service sectors, such as restaurants offering takeout food, appliance repair stations and newspaper delivering centers, are affected by the ban.
E-bike producers argue that local governments should not put all the blame on the bikes for the rising number of traffic accidents.
"When you're talking about the rising numbers of road accidents involving electric bikes, you should also recognize that the number of electric bikes on the roads is growing faster," said Ni Jie, director of Luyuan Electric Vehicle Ltd Co.
Unscientific traffic management might be the reason for the increased number of such traffic accidents, he said. Wu Hongyang, an expert with the China Academy of Transportation Sciences, agreed that local governments should improve the traffic management system for non-motor vehicles. "The electric bikes should be regulated rather than banned," Wu said.
According to the current rules, e-bikes should not weigh over 40 kg and should not travel more than 20 km per hour. However, a large number of e-bikes do not to meet the design standards and riders often break the 20 km speed limit.
However, electric bikes are banned in some Chinese cities because they are believed to contribute - proportionally more than other vehicles - to a rising number of road accidents.
And these bans continue to spark controversy among the public, with about 120 million electric bikes already in use throughout the country.
The southern city of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, is one of the cities to have banned e-bikes in main downtown areas. The ban, which has been in force since June 6, is aimed at reducing traffic accidents.
Riders of e-bikes in the banned areas will face fines of 200 yuan (US$31) starting next month.
Statistics from local police show electric-powered bicycles caused 268 accidents resulting in 64 deaths last year in Shenzhen, which has more than 500,000 e-bikes. The ban is expected to greatly increase the operational costs of express delivery companies.
Du Sheng, a courier of Shenzhen Yuantong Express Co, said many customers have complained about late delivery since he switched to riding a regular bicycle.
And due to couriers struggling to deliver goods on time, the express company Du works for has had to employ more couriers. "My income has also been reduced," Du said, saying he now wants to quit his job.
Xie Yimin, head of the Shenzhen Yuantong Express Co, said the company will have to pass on the increased human resources costs to its consumers. Not only delivery companies, but also many other low-income service sectors, such as restaurants offering takeout food, appliance repair stations and newspaper delivering centers, are affected by the ban.
E-bike producers argue that local governments should not put all the blame on the bikes for the rising number of traffic accidents.
"When you're talking about the rising numbers of road accidents involving electric bikes, you should also recognize that the number of electric bikes on the roads is growing faster," said Ni Jie, director of Luyuan Electric Vehicle Ltd Co.
Unscientific traffic management might be the reason for the increased number of such traffic accidents, he said. Wu Hongyang, an expert with the China Academy of Transportation Sciences, agreed that local governments should improve the traffic management system for non-motor vehicles. "The electric bikes should be regulated rather than banned," Wu said.
According to the current rules, e-bikes should not weigh over 40 kg and should not travel more than 20 km per hour. However, a large number of e-bikes do not to meet the design standards and riders often break the 20 km speed limit.
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